PS 3513 

.1645 
PS 
1915 
Copy 1 




As The Fire Burned 




ELLMORR J. GILSTRAP 



Wife, MARY EDNA and 

DAUGHTER ELIZABETH 
JOSIPHINE 




AS THE 
FIRE BURNED 

A Vol ue of Poems 

by 
ELLMORE JACKSON GILSTRAP 

Author of 

"Renaissance 

and 
Other Poems" 




Pudlished by 
Versatile Art Press 

SPOKANE 

Wn. 
19 15 






COPYRIGHT 1915: 
By Ellmore J. Gilstrap. 



DEC 20 1915 

©CI.A4I 7S'>« 



VS' 



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e5 • 81 -Aoaj 

•^,9uiDip9ui pooS TS SI :nBaq jnjaaaqo y,. 



"AS THE FIRE BURNED'* 



PROLOGUE 



*'i WMS musiMa: and the firr burned," 

This said an ancient poet 

Ai\d hfted his heart to the Infinite 
Then feebiy in words expressed 

The reach of Iiis lofty muse 

As it scanned the patn of a boundless existance. 
Thus every poet. 

With infinity centered upon him, 

Turns, with the hunger of a conscious limitation 
To the fuHness of the expanse of Deity, 

Above, below, and in every direction. 

Then back to the depths of his soul; 
For an assurance of befitting; destiny. 

Upon the hearth the glowing* embers crackle 

But within the breast 
The lire of passiouat* intellig:ence burns. 

Page & 



So the i^rcrat questions of life are ever asked 

As the ray stories of Jehovah's heart 

Are revealed in .conquering: blaze; 
And the victory which shapes the future of millions 

Is wr-n at the hearth-stone. 
\ hajf a hundred centuries back 

Upon God's high-way; turn about and see 
Primeval man, in lowly quartex-s bending, 

His repast to prepare. 

In his forest, prehistoric; 
B cautious still as any wild thing. 

The lightening bolted free as now. 

Came and v;cnt uncliallenged, 
Kor nailed the device of laan 

Mis tb.oiigl-ts to flash across tLe heaven 

Or load to lift. 
His fuel gathered neath those ancient boughs; 
' That proud, tho simple mind contrives, 

llow different from the beast, 
'io bring the Deity within his grasp 

And use the mistic po\v( r. 

Then fiiat t:» flint anA s'eidy stroke. 
The spark!- again tr e sqfirk is droped 

And now the tinder blazes. 
Vho doieb to say it wns not Cod 
Who ij-ade that spark successful. 

Ar.d as t!r.e light leaped on and en 
Eevealed the path to civilization's noon-day? 
Wao darefl to say that any path to civilization leads 
And passes not tKni fire? 

i'a^v 1 



Me thinks, before that bon-fire died 

That |2:!orious autumn evsn, 

Onr fathers gathered round 
To feast their hearts and vent imagination: 

Who dares to say man would have found 

That God made him a poet 
Had he not found the vital spark 

That bade him be a conqueror— 

*'?riirievalman a conqueror?"— 
He even dares to rise from the musings of that fireside 

To mount the skies, and place his hand in God's, 
Then with that heavenly vision on his heart 

Subdue the earth, Make divistating floods 
Andpaiched desserts clasp their hands 

In graceful union, and send forth a blessing. 

The fire in his breast aglow- 

Tiie fire on the forge leaps up 

To me!t the hearts of iron mountains 
And stauip divine impressions on them. 

Yet in man's breast a devil hides 

And grins at such achievments. 
And prompts satanic motives 

Where virtue breathes a blessing on intelligence. 
So hatred springs from virtue 

As man views man's enlightenment 

Nor reckons yet with God, 
But turns his lofty jjowers tx> rain destruction 

And shed a brother's blood. 



"I was musing and the fire burne^^* 

Two blazing altars stand, 

Two brothers musing by there 
One is the world's first faithftil soa 

The world's first murdered brother 

Whose God -accepted sacrifice 
Adorns the ancient fire. 

Oh! Unhappy Cain, 

What murderous vipers issue 
From thy unfaithful fire. 

To fasten on thy rctusing heart ;- 

How soon the action springs. 

Candid beauty and cunning treacht ry 

And all the associated passions rise;- 

Now the fire sparkles cherrily 
Now it dies away, and ugly shado^^s 

Grotesque and lurking, 

Encroach upon the smoulderirg embers. 
So the world's great deeds, both g<«od and bad. 

From humble firesides issue; 

And the history of the world we read 
In the musings at her burning altars. 

Stir up the coals till the flame sho<>ts torth 
The muse, right heartily to w«;lcome. 
Nor president account worthy 

Whose arbitrary limits 

Obscures the real and vivid. 

Page IB 



M U 5 3 C 



God verily loveth music; 

His creation lauds Him w ith song; 
From the Murmuring trees 
That are swayed by the breeze. 

To the tide as it rolleth on. 

The little birds of the forest. 

Which twitter their carols so sweet, 

In the wide spreading fieltls 

And the beautiful dells. 

Do verily God's song repeat. 

And thou; my soul, my inmost self, 

Shalt not refuse a song, 
When stream and breeze and bird, 
In harmony are heard. 

And nature sings God's sweetest song. 




Page 1 3 



MAPLE LEAVES 



On the moss-covered bank of the river 
I listened one summer day. 

To the g-entle murmuring Avaters; 

As they went on their long, long way 

The zephyrs of summer, waving 

The foliage on the banks; 
The perfume, sound and symmetry 

Spoke mutual returning of thanks. 

A maple tree hung o'er the river 
Among ail the otiier trees, 

With its old moss-covered body 
Hidden among its leaves. 

Thourrh the autumn -.vas only beginning. 
There were bigiii oi f r'y ciecay, 

For among- tiie green hosts, living, 

Slione a few golden leaves that day. 

The breezes rocked them, whispering: 
"it were sweeter to float away 

From your living- leaf-friends. busy 
Adorning the maple all day" 



I 4. 



An! the gentle urging ar.d coasiny; 

Was more than the heart eonld stand; 
So a ]ct\t hero do\vn on tl.e hrccxcs 

'l"o the bosom of the strand. 

An;l I wacched as it tossed and floated 

In the cradle so lately found, 
A-.v.iy i'rr.iii tue gnarled old ma;).'e. 

O'er the shimmering ^vaves, beyond, 
As I tarried. watching the river, 

A fiOod of thoughts came fast. 
And I gazed on tb.e weltering path-way 

L'ntil many a leaf had passed. 

To see thera so >rently nestle 

In those soft waves, moving on; 

Brought thoughts of the tired pilgrim 
Ae he goes to the great beyond 

Of the silver waves, I inquired 

Where the leaves at last were to be. 

On those zephyrs born, came the answer back; 
'"They Milll>e in Eternity". 

God spoke to me on that self-same day 
On those very same zephyrs. born. 

Came a message sweet, from His very lips, 
And it makes my pulse beat warm. 



Page 1 o 



For that messag-e sweet, still compells a thought, 
"As the beautiful leaves float on: 

Has your influence graced life's maple tree? 
Then with joy you shall go beyond. 

"And the ebb and the flow and the swelling. 

Of the stream to Eternity; 
Nor of sorroAving thoughts will be telHng 

Nor forboding of what shall be, 

"But the waves shall speak in harmony 

The reward of beautiful life; 
And tKe hearts left behind, the eulogy: 

'The balm of thy presence was life' " 




Page 1 6 



JOSIPIilNE 

Tl'NE: 

, Cj/? GP 0/> 



Who is sweeter, tell me, 

'1 iian our Josiphine? 
Graceful in her actions ;- 
Lovely little queen. 

CHORUS 

Josiphine, 

Prettiest flow'r I've seen; 
Token of love sent down from Heaven- 
How could a sweeter gift be jfiven? 

Josiphine, 

Sweeter than any dream. 
Purer than Springtime's breath 

May she e'er remain 

Sweet Josiphine. 

If we knew her language 
Could she, think you, tell 

"Of that blessed country 

Where the Angels dwell?" 



Page 1 7 



THE EARLY BUTTERCUP 

^nU,me aumor'(> ^irxf/ioem^waj^ written 



After a thaw in January, 

The snow lay on the flats; 

Jack Frost, witK fun and fury. 

Danced o'er the hilU' bare backs. 

He noticed, as lie passed along, 
A buttercup in full bloom; 

She surely heard a snow-bird's song* 
And came out ail too soon, 

"I'll teach her," he thought, 

"For she breaks winter's rule; 

This night she'll drink a cup 

Of experience, extremly cool,'* 

"Hey there! little buttercup. 

Aren't you pretty cold? 
'Tis too early you've got up. 

Wliat made you be so bold? 

Page 1 S 



'"Vou sliouid have slept on, 
To awake with the spring 

And hear the wild hiids'song; 
As they sweetly sing." 

*'0h yes, it is bleak; 

But I don't raind, the least; 
When I can give those who seek 

The vernal fragrance, a feast" 

'*Oh no," said Jack Frost, 
'•You are surely mistaken; 

And I'll not be bossed 

Until winter's forsaken. 

"And tonight you shall see, 
To your dissatisfaction. 

Where you will be 

With such a notion." 

But Jack's brother, North Wind, 

While eaves-dropping about. 
Heard, and thought it a shame 

Cruelly to blot her out. 
So he set off with a skip 

And gathered together 
A downy white blanket 

As soft as a feather 



Page 1 9 



And e er night fe'l on her 

She was tucked sniigriy in. 

Away from Jack's torture. 

By her friend, North V^'ind. 

V/here she slept undisturbed 
Till the thaw in the spring". 

When again she appeared. 

To hear the wild birds sing. 



^CO 



All months have their sorro^ys, 
All seasons their pain. 

But there's always a flower. 

E'en in Winter's cold reign. 




Page -;?0 



ROSES 



AWAY o'er the eastern mountains, 

Is a green little valley of flowers, 
Crossed by a limpid river, 

Hiding beneath the bowers; 
There's where ray heart gently leads me 

As the twiJight softly falls; 
There in fancy now I see you 

And hear your gentle call. 

Ah! well I remember the evening. 

Though months and the years have flown, 
When I placed a ring on your finger, 

And you said your heart was my own. 
Ah, darling, don't you remember ? 

The roses were wet with dew; 
You picked me a crimson bud, and asked, 

"Will the return of the roses do?" 

Page ^21 



The roses have con-e and gone, dcur. 

And we are far apart; 
But time or distance, dear. 

Can never change my heart,. 
And alone in the solemn twilight 

I offer this earnest prayer, 
''When next I stray amongst roses, 

May my own httle Rose be there/' 




Page 22 



MY PRAYER 



JESUS, Savior, I would pray thee, 

Bowing- here before thj^ feet, 
To look kindly on Thy servant. 

While I solemnly entreat. 
Vrouldst thou cheer me when I sorrow. 

Let thy light shine on the way. 
Be my guard in all temptation, 

Near me would 'st Thou always stay. 

Jesus, Savior, friend of sinners, 

I would live and die for thee. 
Teach me how to win the tender 

To Thy fold; where'er they be. 
As I ripen in Thy knowledge, 

If it be Thy blessed will, 
I would fight the host of evil. 

Guarded by Thy mercies still. 

Page 28 



Jesus, Savior, strong and oiighty, 

Still for grace I do implore; 
Would 'st Thou heavenly manna send me, 

'Till I reach the Golden Shore. 
And when angel wings shall bear me 

Safely o'er the dashing foam, 
May I hear Thy voice, dear Savior, 

Welcome me to "Home, Sweet Home". 




Pa;e 



A MARRIED DUTCHMAN 



tint zince you axed me; 

Veil; i dell 
Vhy I am alvays 

Looking- veil, 

Zince 1 got married. 

Ust almost every 

Blessed night, 
I vent rae oudt, 

Yah! dot ish right. 

Dill I got married, 

Unt vagon bills 

Unt orse« doo 
Do dake mine gals, 

Dey made ma blue, 

Dill 1 got marriad. 

Uot somedimes uit 

To be a shport, 
I'd buy fmc dings 

Uf every asort. 

Dill I got married. 

Pagii ^S 



Unt loost ntine shiec-p 

Unt den mine pall* 
Vouki somed lines make rae 
Loost de i^nlii, 

l^i-'I I p;ot nian-ied. 
Gosh.' I vorried 

Like a zinner; 
L>l^^en I got dhin 

Unt got me schiirner 
Dill I ^ot married. 
Now all dhose droubles 

In a hurry 
Left de bL^ce, 

Unt, "I should vorry" 
Zince I got married 

Mine gloths don't sphend me 

Quite so now. 
As vhen I didn't 

Got mine frow, 

Zince I ^ot married. 
Because she cuts dem 

Half mit dwo, 
Unt makes me vone 

As g-oot as new, 

Zmce I jjTot married. 



Page 



Unt nov/ I never 

Bay mine gash 
For 03'ster zoup 

Unt restaurant hash, 
Zince I got married. 

"Ust dirty zents" 

Dwo ice gream zundaes; 
Unt den I fond I's 

Broke en Mondays — 
Dill I g'ot married. 

But vhen 1 hears de 

Voman say: 
"Yockeb; Dear, 

Its varm to-day" 

Zince I got married. 

1 valks me off 

Right straight do down; 
You bet mine life 

1 never vrown, 

Zince 1 jfot married. 

Ice gream gones,l get; 

Dey's fine; 
I gets de dwo for 

Ust vone dime, 

Zince 1 got married. 



Pag« 9 7 



Mine viie.she ihiirelr 

Is a vonder; 
She's ust like lightening- 

I o do duucor, 

Zince I g-ot nifirried. 

Unt den ders somcdings 

More you knou — 
It makes me laugh ;- 

You didn't know? 

Zince I jrot married 

Mine vife;she got dwo 

Leddle dwins. 
About as big as 

Dady's shins, 

Zince I got married. 

Unt so I'm looking veil, 

Dank you; 
You do like I unt 

You vill doo: 

Uit get married. 



Pafc ^ 



RENAISSANCE 



'Tis even;at my study window 
I contemplate the day, 
With its faikires and successes 
[Marking out the toilsome way. 
And I see my bit of knowledge: 
Science, philosophy and myth, 
As an atom of debris 
Upon the pyramid of truth; 
1 see my helmet, shield and breast-plate, 
F'or defence in mental strife, 
Scarce doth warrant me an entrance 
At the tournament of life 
My acquired refinement, 
Aye, all my pohshed art. 
Are as thorns and nettles 
In Nature's throbbing heart. 

'Tis evcn;now fades this 
Vernal equinoxial day, 
And from out my study window 
Aphrodite and Demeter say : 
Page 8 9 



"Come into the class room 

Of the beautiful, the true, 

And study renaissance 

Of classics nearer you" 

I betake myself to musing, 

And the blood leaps in my veins. 

As I think how very vaguely 

I have seen God's divine plan; 

I was made in His own image, 

With judy:eraent, purpose, and with love. 

And I died thi-oug-h my rebellion, 

To induement from above. 

So I enter God's great class-room 
V/ith lessons unprepared, 
But a huitgry heart that's grateful 
For His treasures, with me shared; 
A tongue quite dumb with praises 
Which mere words could never tell 
And a brain that's not been measured 
By an arbitrary scale. 
For He teaches: not as do 
His humble students, men; 
Ihe achievements and the progress 
On the towpath of mankind. 
Ah, truly they fail 
To teach the whole man. 



Taii-e 3 



For they surely are failures 

Who man's mission would find 

P';ach propelling life's argo, 

These frail Argonauts, 

By things througli sensation 

Made analytic thoughts, 

To hear,to taste, to smell, to feel. 

To use the miracle of vision. 

Doth solemn thought and praise compel. 

Yet God gives intuition. 

So the teachers I hear 
In this free-thinking class. 
Are the springtime freshets 
And zephyrs that pass; 
Yet my soul is outpoured 
In hearty response 
To the words, as they 
Echoing, say "renaissance;" 
And I try to express 
In my homely way. 
My soul's sweet content 
At the close of this day ; 
But though the five senses 
May serve j'ou well, 
A sixth you must have 
If to you I tell 



Page 3 1 



The brawty of holiness t 
Potentiality of faith 
In Die g'ift to creation 
Cf universal life. 

As the white, fleecy clouds, 
Fring-ed with purple and i?old. 
Like a virgin's white bossom. 
Half concealed in the fold, 
Are swelling to curves 
Of beauty and grace. 
Covering the heart 
Of this grand Renaissance. 
I pray the mighty 
Benefactor of man: 
"May the renaissance of thy Spirit 
In my heart have free reign." 



TT^rs^^ 







Page S3 



TiilL i3ANQliLT 



Ai.tuiiia in sp'.eudid livery. 
Graceful as ripened love, is here, 
Nor comes with empty hands. 
Her harvest basket, Hfe to sustain. 
Is emptied at our feet; 
But no good queen is satisfied 
To feed the physical. 
And starve the truer man, the soul; 
So f?ood queen Autumn spreads a feast 
For eyes and ears and heart. 
Then gently lifts the gauzy fringe 
Of summer's wasting curtain 
That we may peep within; 
Our eyes and ears and sense of smell 
And taste and intuition, 
At once are asked to enter, - 
The banquet now is served. 
And course on course brings new surprise 
And strange enchantment fills the heart. 



Page 3 3 



The forest is the banquet Iiail, 
Kor richer walls have any; 
Eadi humble leaf in gorgeous beauty 
Contributes to the whole, 
Nor waits couiplaininij^ for a p^ace 
Of more exalted station. 
Each thrilling sonir.liarnionious. 
Is blended with a thous?tnd, 
Nor discord makes 
Nor asks a special notice. 
Each whispering zephyr, 
Preg-nant v/ith a varied fragi'ance. 
Is wafted in the wake of many kindred breezes. 
Nor claims a freer path 
Down through the trembling foliage. 
Thus all, combining, speak of God 
And infinite agreement; 
A benidiction,not in words 
But loving sacrifice. 




I'a-e 3 -I 



CONTRASl 
. A. /^ ('(>//■((/' flf/jc/t 

The f-iiys of empires mark the fields 

Ol" conquest gore and anguish, 
And flaunt their all-assuming pride 
Where millions, wounded languish 
Th-rnk God! "OM Glory" mounts the breeze 

To send a positive message 
Across the waters, born of God, 

Yet to spare His heritage. 
As o'er a hundred battle fields 

Insane with aweful carnage, 
The ensigns of delirious pride 
Are torn with devilish rage 
*'Gld Glory" proudly flings her out 
Above ten thousand school-grounds 
To tell the honor of the race 

Where yet christian peace abounds. 




Fa-( 



fviEDSTATSONS 



I lay awal-.e on my pillow last night, 
For sleep had fled afar; 
And watched throug-h the open windo^v 
The twinkling evening star; 
The past reappeared before me, 
Aud the present vanished, quite; 
And Father Time in his flight turned bad 
To my childhood days, last night, 
I seemed to be in the garden, 
With my brotlierjust younger than I, 
Hoeing and talking and langhing. 
As we did in the days gone by; 
Watching the bees select their flowers. 
And wondering the reason why,- 
Listening to the chirp of the cricket. 
Or catching a butterfly. 



Fai'c 3 G 



Af.ba ppy Hii- tin^e-^ wo sp<rnt tttcrether 
III. ViOudUmd aiut fie'i! and i(';e:idcn\ ; 
And sweet were our thoM.^hts ia tliose K.ippy c^ays 
PriV>jt' <'Aa had <•- .st his shadow; 
Wht-r: V. ^' «yn:p.'i1:bi.':ed in <.-aoh other's grief, 
Aiid felt each oth<er's fear; 

But my heart quickly throbed when I thought: 
••'He's been under the sod aj^ear." 
What a cruel Hfe this is to live. 
After one learns to know; 
But sorrows bind love cords closer, 
As heavenward still we go; 
For surely 'tis sweet to think 
Our dear ones have reached their goal, 
"Where the tender Shepherd doth guard with care, 
The lambs of the upper fold." 




Pace 3 T 



EPILOGUE 



The baby, frolicking on the floor 

Has dropped her head on her arm 
And is sin<2:ing her sleepy song once more, 

With a natural and innocent charm. 
Her pjaythings are pushed back out of sight 

And her mamma is humming the while. 
As she brings her to kiss her papa"good-night' 

Ana be hugged and petted a while; 

Good -night! good-night! good-night! 

The baby is sleeping;fire"s out. 

The fire of our pleasant muse; 
The dipper has circled the north star about 

To pour out the mid-night dews; 
'Tis a pleasant time we've had 'tis right, 

Very lovely and pleasant, my dear; 
But the time has come to say "good-night" 

So with all it can mean, my dear. 

Good-night! good-night! good-night! 




Page 38 



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V'vrfAiM%n 




